Explosive shell.



' Patented Mar. 6, 1900. J. J. CUNEYS. ExPLoswE SHELL.

(Application ledvmay 9, 189B.` Renewed Jan. 19, 1900.)

(No Modal.)

. ETE TATES ArnNP which;

.IoI-IN J. coNEYs, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA;

.sxeLoslvr-z SHELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,896, dated March c, Ieoo. Application tiled May 9,1898. Renewed January 19, 1900. Serial No. `2,070. v(lll'o model.)

and useful Improvement in Explosive Shells,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in explosive shells for cannons and the likeand has for one object to so construct a shell -of this description that by` at-A taching an electric conductor thereto it may be exploded at a given time after it has left the cannon, and when this is properly indicatedrelatixzeionthdsnced of the projectile the latter may be exploded at a giveldis'- tance from the cannon, thus causing it to expend its force'upon the object desired.

Afurther object of my invention is to provide loose wires which will Swingin all directions after the -shell has exploded and be made electrically alive by the conductgor, with a sufcient strength of current to kill persons and animals coming in contact therewith and to set on fire vessels orbuildin gs with which they come in contact. y

With these ends in view this invention consists in the detailsof construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and thenspeciically designated by the claim.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the saine, the construction and operation will now be described in detail,L referringto the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, in

wnicn- -Figure l is a section of a shell made in accordance with -my imprroyernentfbefore the saine has been. exploded; Fig. 2, a similar View showing the` shell after-explosion, but prior to the cap having broken loose from the wires; Fig. 3, a View showing the butt of the shell, with the wires swinging loose; and Fig. et, a cross-section showing the. stay-rods.

In carrying out my invention as here embodied, A represents the butt of the shell,

and B the cap thereof, in between which is inter'posed a cylindrical casing or body C, thus makinga receptacle for the explosive .mate-l rial, (indicated a't D,) with which may he mixedscrap-iron or the like for eectiveness 'when the shell is explded. The three parts of the shell, as just described, are held together by the stay-rods E, here shown as six in number, one end of each rod being secured in the butt, while the opposite end passes through one of the holes F in the cap and is held in place by the pins G.

H is an eye formed with or secured to the butt of theshell, and to this eye is attached a cable I, along which run the conductor# wires J and J', the former being positive and the latter negative.- The wire J is insulated from the butt of the shell, while the wire J is attached directly thereto, and the former in passing `into the explosive material is `f0r1ned 'Iintowaf resistancecoiLandnispreferably of some fusible material, so that when the-current is passed over this conductor it will burn out at this point and in so doing will ignite the explosive material, with the result that the body of the shellwill be shattered while the cap is blown od. A series of wires K are coiled about the stay-rods E and are attached to the cap, as clearly shown at L, so that whenthe latter is blown off these wires will be drawn out until reaching their limit, when the cap will'loreak loose therefrom and leave said wires free to swing to and fro, as shown in Fig. 3.

From this description the operation of my improvement will be obviously as follows: A sufficient length of cable is laid in a coil in l.front of the gun, one end being attached to the shell and the other fastened to a ring, so "as to form a connection with the brake or switch, so that said cable may be drawn forth as the shell is projected, and when this shell is projected from a cann'onit is only necessary to know the speedk atwhioh it is traveling to determine the distance from the cannon at which it is to be exploded, which latter is accomplished by any convenient switch mechanism-as, for instance, that shown in Fig. l at o-and when the circuitis closed by such a switch an electric current will be passed along the conductors, which will explode the'shell, as before described, and when the wires K are severed from the cap this ourrent will niake these wires alive, and when any .0f them come in contact with a person or an animal' the 'current will rpass from the ICO the wires come in contact with inflammable material, such as Woodwork or the like, the latter will be set on iire. By this form of shell when a vessel orl other object is located and its distance known or calculated the shell may be projected and exploded immediately on-said Vessel or object, and thereby great damage effected. i

The shell could be worked to great advantage by the coast-guards, andshould a ship come in range the shell might be exploded thereover, so that its Wires spring out like arms, one resting upon the ship and the other in the water, thus forming a circuit and transmitting to the ship an enormous supply-of electricity, which would completely destroy all life aboard of said ship, as well as explode ammunition carried thereon.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I cla-iin as new and useful isand passing through the cap, Wires coiled around said stay-rods and securely attached to the butt, their opposite ends being loosely 'attached to the cap, a cable att-ached to the butt adapted to be coiled upon a reel, eendnctors carried by the cable and so connected with the shell as to explode the contents when a current is passed therethrough and leave the Wires alive, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signa-ture in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

y JOHN J. CONEYS. Witnesses:

' GEO. G. IIAzEL'roN, J1,

SAMUEL L. TAYLOR. 

